€130,000 St. Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr2): Birthe makes the best of her draw

Sunday, May 12, 2024, ParisLongchamp Racecourse (Paris) – This 64th edition of the €130,000 St. Mark’s Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (Gr2) was the first to be contested under a Group 2 label, having lost its Group 1 status. Time will tell if the race can reclaim its former laurels. Still, its downgrade didn't deprive the Bois de Boulogne audience of a fine race, marked by a notable victory from Birthe (Study of Man), who brilliantly repeated her last success, achieved over the same 1m2f trip at Toulouse in the Prix de la Caravelle – Haras des Granges (L). It was also her first foray into this category and her 4th outing. Coming second to Paraiba, who secured a promising second place the day before this "Saint-Alary" at Chantilly, on her debut, ahead of Acqua Augusta, who also made a good return this month, Birthe then went on three weeks later to claim her first victory in a class 2 event, again on all-weather over 9.5f but at Chantilly.

Alain Jathière joined her initial owner, Christine Guilbert, and winter passed. Last March, the filly finished 3rd on her comeback, on the same course as her previous outing, behind Goa and Almara (Almanzor), whom she encountered again this time after a victorious detour through La Cépière, where she had thus discovered turf in competition and conquered her bold-type status.

This unconventional path did not convince the punters, who let her go off at 10/1 in this field of seven fillies, none of whom had prevailed dramatically enough to drag a significant weight into the betting.

She travelled on the 2nd row along the rail (thanks to her draw 2) behind the leaders, Almara and the English filly War Chimes (Summer Front). The former did not give way easily, but Birthe, after this ideal run with the open stretch to free her, went all out to win by more than a length, with Survie (Churchill) finishing well, 3rd from afar, a neck behind, and nearly two lengths ahead of the favourite, Dare to Dream (Camelot).

Lauréate du Prix Caravelle (L) à Toulouse dernièrement, l’outsider Birthe Study of Man) ⁦@lemaitre60LA⁩ vient à bout d’une courageuse Almara (Almanzor) dans le StMark’s Basilica #CoolmoreStud #HomeofChampions Saint-Alary (Gr2). pic.twitter.com/bgzML2eeqq

— France Galop (@francegalop) May 12, 2024

Birthe is trained by Laura Vanska, along with 8 other trainees at Chantilly, giving her her first "Group" win after giving her her first listed race.

The filly is out of Barakaat (Lope de Vega). She was knocked down for €10,000 at the Goffs sales in November 2022 to J D Moore. A year later, after a canter on the Deauville synthetic track last July, she was sold for €12,000 to Tina Rau and Laura Vanska at the Deauville July sales.

The dam, Barakaat, had raced for Hamdan Al Maktoum. She had achieved just one victory at Toulouse, like her daughter, who was her first foal, as she was also her dam's first foal. She herself cost €240,000 at Deauville to Shadwell as she descends from a strong family, that of Grise Mine, who won this Prix Saint-Alary for the Rothschilds, her breeders, in 1984. But before leading to Birthe, the lineage went to the United States via Kostroma, a triple Group 1 winner in the USA and Canada, and the filly's 4th dam.